All in the Family
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH: As if three Hansen brothers weren't enough...Sig comes home from cod fishing to find out that his wife and son have their own plans to join the Northwestern...what's a skipper to do?
1. Chapter 1

**This story is in response to an amazing idea by Lauren Grant. Thanks so much for the idea!!**

**Just fyi, for the story's sake we're gonna pretend that Sig only had one child. : )**

**And I'm going to throw Jack back in here, just cause I think her character ads a little more fun/romance type stuff to the story.**

**Thanks for reading!! I hope you like it!!**

"But mom!"

"No, we've had this discussion before," said the blonde woman as she turned the eggs over on the stove, "You're not going!"

The boy rolled his eyes in exasperation and sunk into a chair beside the kitchen table.

"Dad would want me to go," he murmured under his breath.

The woman whirled around and glared at her son.

"Do NOT bring this up when he gets home, Griffin," she said firmly, "He's going to be tired and he's not going to want to put up with this. You know how he is after they go cod fishing."

"Dad started doing it when he was twelve!" insisted Griffin, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes, "Mom, I'm eighteen! I can do this, I know I can."

The woman dropped the spatula and looked up at the ceiling, trying to scrounge up any last scrap of patience she could find. The thought of her only son heading out into the middle of the Bering Sea terrified her and she was not sure she could handle it.

Just then, the front door opened and Griffin jumped up when he saw his dad walk inside the house.

"Dad!" he exclaimed as he walked over to great him.

"Hey son!" said Sig with a big smile.

No matter how long or short a period of time was that he was gone from home, it always felt amazing to be back.

"Hey, Baylee," he said as he walked over and gave his wife a hug and a kiss, "How are you sweetheart?"

"Better now that you're home," she said with a loving look in her eyes, "So, how was your trip?"

Sig sighed and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. Baylee noticed the look in his eyes.

"Oh no," she murmured, "What happened?"

"Well," began Sig, "Nick retired. He said he needed to go home and spend time with his family. He wasn't getting any younger either I suppose. But he was a good deckhand…I'm not sure if I'd be able to find someone else to replace him, you know?"

Griffin's eyes brightened at the sound of that. Baylee shot her son a warning look. She knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Hey dad…"

"Griffin!" snapped Baylee.

Sig gave his wife a confused and surprised look.

"Honey, what's going on?"

"Dad I want to join the crew!" exclaimed Griffin, before Baylee could interrupt again, "I can do it, I know I can!"

Sig felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Now he knew why Baylee was so upset. Their only son wanted the most dangerous job in the world. Needless to say, her worry was more than understandable.

"But I don't want you to," said Baylee with deep worry and fear for her son reflected in her eyes, "It's too dangerous!"

"Dad does it all the time," argued Griffin, his blonde eyes flashing with defiance, "He's done if for years and nothing's every happened to him!"

Sig knocked on the wooden table, making Griffin smile in amusement. Sig was always very superstitious.

"And what would I do if something did happen?" argued Baylee, "Then I would lose you both! How would that make me feel? I'd be alone dealing with the death of the two men I love more than anything in this world!"

Griffin fell silent at that. How could he argue with that kind of reasoning? Perhaps he was being selfish in not thinking of his mother. Even if nothing did happen, whenever they went out to sea she would be here in the house alone.

A sudden idea struck him.

"You're a good cook."

Baylee raised an eyebrow at that.

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"And you're good at fixing cuts and injuries and stuff like that," said Griffin, beginning to talk faster and more urgently.

Baylee saw where this was going.

"Oh no, no I don't think so," she said taking a couple steps back, "No way, don't even go there mister! No way."

"But mom, think about it!" insisted Griffin, "You could be the Northwestern Crew Mom! You'd take care of us when we're sick or hurt and you could cook for us! And you could hang out with dad up in the wheelhouse while we work on deck!"

Sig's eyebrows shot up at that. He loved his wife dearly, but the thought of her being in the wheelhouse all the time…

Baylee opened her mouth to argue, but hesitated. She sighed, put her hands on her hips, and glared down at her son.

"And if I did say yes to this, you'd be careful out there right?"

Griffin's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yeah! Definitely!"

Baylee sighed and nodded.

"Fine…but I'm not going out in that weather! I'm staying in the boat…"

Baylee was interrupted when her son leapt out of his chair and gave her a big bear hug. She laughed as she nearly fell over, while Sig sat at the table, eyes still wide with shock.

"Wait…what just happened?" he asked.

Griffin and Baylee laughed.

"I think you just gained two more crew members," said Baylee as she kissed Sig on the cheek, "That is okay, isn't it honey?"

Sig looked up at his wife and wondered for a second if this was a good idea. Then again, with Baylee, he really did not have any other choice. She was a feisty one and would fight for what she wanted…and she always won.

"I, um…I guess so."

Griffin leapt up and pumped his fist into the air.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, "I'm gonna be a crab fishermen in the Bering Sea!"

Baylee looked rather nervous, but a glimmer of excitement shone in her eyes. Being able to be with both her son and husband all the time made her happy. She and Sig never had much time together because he was always out fishing. This may be the perfect way to get to know one another again.

While Baylee and Griffin went down the hall toward the living room, chatting excitedly, Sig still sat at the table, wondering what in the world he had just gotten himself into…

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	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Jack! Did you check that bait?"

Jack Hansen looked up from where she was coiling a shot of line to throw into a pot. She brushed her auburn hair out of her face, eyes flashing with annoyance.

"For the hundredth time, yes Matt I checked the stupid bait!"

Matt pretended to be scared and whimpered pitifully.

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

Jack sneered and muttered something under her breath, but the smile that played across her face dispelled any hint of real anger.

"You remember what happened that one time though, right?" he asked.

Jack dropped the line on the deck in exasperation.

"Only because you've told me a hundred times!" she said, shooting him a glare, "Yes, I remember. We got bad bait, had to take it all back out and get new bait…it took hours, I know."

"What are you doing to my poor wife?" asked Edgar as he walked over and gave her a hug.

Matt sneered as he watched them murmur to each other and kiss.

"I hate newlyweds," he said with feigned annoyance.

While the young couple flirted and kissed, Matt raised his voice so everyone could hear him.

"Are you two gonna make out the entire trip?"

Norman and Jake came out from the galley. They laughed when they heard Matt and shot Edgar and Jack amused looks.

"So I wonder who the new greenhorn's gonna be?" asked Jake as he finished coiling Jack's abandoned line.

"I don't know," replied Norman, "All I know is that Sig was supposed to be here an hour ago. I thought he said we were in a hurry?"

"Yeah he called me yesterday and said to get here right away," agreed Jake, "And I hopped on a plane and rushed over here, and now he's the one who's late! Go figure! And he said something about hiring a new cook or something."

The rest of the crew looked at Jake with startled expressions.

"What are you talking about?" asked Edgar.

"Yeah, Sig didn't say anything to me about that," agreed Norman.

Jake shrugged, "I don't know but he didn't seem too terribly happy about it. He sounded almost regretful. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

The crew continued their preparations for the king crab season. Edgar and Norman worked on coiling new line while Jake, Matt, and Jack checked all the pots for holes or bend sections of metal.

"Who's that?" asked Matt after a while.

"Who's who?" asked Norman.

"Those people with Sig," he said, pointing down the dock, "Some lady and a kid are following Sig…he's too far away, can't make out who they are."

Edgar looked up and squinted, trying to see who it was. His face fell in shock as he watched them walk down the dock.

"Oh…my…"

"What? What is it?" asked Jack, turning to look.

She glanced at Norman. He had the same stunned expression on his face too.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, "Why on earth…?"

"Well who is it?" asked Jake impatiently.

"You guys aren't going to believe this," said Edgar quietly, "But those people…that's Sig's family."

Jake, Jack, and Matt gaped in surprise.

"What?" exclaimed Matt, "You can't be serious?"

"Dead serious I'm afraid," muttered Norman, "Yep…it's them alright."

Everyone looked utterly dumbfounded.

Matt shook his head in disbelief as he shielded his eyes from the glaring sun.

"What did we do to deserve this?"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Haha!! I just realized that means 5 Hansen's will be on the same boat, leaving poor Matt, Jake, and Jack…this is gonna be interesting!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, after much pleading from you guys, I decided to update today…even though I'm DEAD tired from fishing…lol…but you all are worth it! I hope you like it!! **

Jack was the first to greet the new arrivals onto the boat.

"Hey, I'm Jack," she said as she grabbed Baylee's bag.

"Hi," said Baylee with a smile, "I'm Baylee, Sig's wife. It's good to finally meet you. I've heard so many good things about…"

Sig coughed loudly and shot his wife a look.

Jack smirked. Captain's never said good things about their deckhands in front of them, for fear that it will go straight to their heads. She shot her captain an amused look as she and Jake reached out to help Baylee get onboard.

Meanwhile, Griffin tossed his bag into the boat and jumped in on his own. Norman raised an eyebrow and nodded in approval.

"He's a natural, just like his father."

Sig shot his brother an amused grin.

"Stop sucking up, Norman. Where's Griffin?"

The crew glanced around and realized that Griffin had disappeared from the deck. Jack frowned and turned back to face the crew.

"I'll check the galley. Maybe he went to put his stuff away?"

Edgar shrugged as he grabbed Baylee's bag.

"Yeah, I'll go with you. I'll toss your stuff downstairs, Baylee."

"Thanks Edgar," said Baylee as she gave him a grateful hug.

Edgar and Jack climbed down into the galley. They glanced around but did not see Griffin.

"Where the heck did he go?" asked Edgar.

"I'll check the wheelhouse," replied Jack, "Maybe he went up there?"

Edgar nodded as he disappeared into one of the staterooms to put away Baylee's things.

Jack climbed the stairwell that led up to the wheelhouse. She opened the door and peeked inside. Sure enough, there was Griffin sitting in the captain's chair, looking at all the monitors and controls. Jack smiled as she walked in.

"Nice isn't it?" she asked.

Griffin jumped slightly.

"Oh, um, yeah it is."

Jack closed the door behind her and stood behind the captain's chair.

"Just within the past season Sig's been teaching me how to drive her," she commented as she glanced at the screens, "It's a lot harder than it looks, but it's a blast too."

Griffin nodded slightly as he looked out the window.

Jack smiled slightly in sympathy for the young greenhorn. She realized that he must be very nervous. He had big shoes to fill.

"Hey, if you're anything like your dad, you'll be great," she said, trying to encourage him.

"But that's just it," he said suddenly, "I was so pumped to be out here, you know? But then when I started telling my friends that I was going, people started to ask if I'd be as good as my dad…if I'd even make it. I mean, how embarrassing would it be for me to go out there and screw up? I couldn't face anyone again…"

Jack frowned in concern. She did not realize that Griffin was under that much pressure. She remembered when she first joined the Northwestern. She had faced similar pressures from her family. Jack also came from a long line of fishermen. Her family had fished shrimp boats and small crab boats in the Atlantic so when they found out that she was going to be fishing on the Bering Sea, they began to pressure her and question whether or not she had what it took to be a Bering Sea crab fisherman.

"I understand where you're coming from," she murmured, "Been there done that…it stinks I know. All you can do is your best. And don't worry; I'll be here to help you if you need it. I won't be as mean to you as the others."

Griffin smiled slightly and glanced back at her.

"Thanks…I appreciate it."

"Hey, no problem!" said Jack, pleased that she had managed to change his attitude a bit, "What do you say we go downstairs and grab some food? I'm sure Sig's gonna have us working before long."

Griffin nodded in agreement and followed Jack back down to the galley. He was glad that Jack had come up and talked to him. Maybe he really could do this…maybe…

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**I'll probably update tomorrow night…got some stuff to do in the morning…**

**Thanks for all the reviews!! I REALLY appreciate the feedback!!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Untie her and let's get going!" ordered Sig over the loudhailer.

Baylee watched from the wheelhouse as the Northwestern crew scrambled to untie the boat from the dock. Jack and Jake were showing Griffin the art of tying and untying a boat in the process.

She sighed and glanced over at her husband.

"You think he'll be alright?"

Sig smirked slightly as he shot his wife a loving, yet annoyed look.

"Hon you insisted on coming on this boat to insure that. I think with both of his parents on board he'll be fine. He's got two uncles on deck with him too, you know."

Baylee nodded, but chewed nervously on her fingernail as she watched the crew jump back onto the boat and prepare to leave the dock.

"Sweetheart," said Sig, when he noticed that she still looked very worried, "He'll be fine…I promise."

Baylee smiled and shook her head.

"I know. Maybe I'm just being overprotective again."

Sig raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. Baylee pretended to be mad at him and hit him lightly on the arm. Sig clutched his "wounded" arm and pretended to be in pain while Baylee rolled her eyes at him.

Back on the deck, Edgar and Norman were joking around with their new greenhorn.

"So what'll we do to this one, Norman?" asked Edgar with a mischievous look in his eyes, "Bering Sea baptism perhaps?"

Griffin shot them a scared look. He glanced over at Jack, who was laughing at the sight.

"What are they talking about?" he hissed under his breath, "What are they gonna do to me? What's a Bering Sea baptism?"

Jack smirked as she remembered all the pranks the boys had pulled on her when she was new to the crew. This poor kid had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough," she said with a smile, "It's all part of being a greenhorn. You have to suffer like the rest of us did at one point in time."

Griffin shuffled his feet uneasily. He knew how crazy Uncle Edgar could be sometimes and he had heard numerous stories from Sig about the pranks he pulled on people. He even said Edgar used flame throwers to wake up the deckhands and bit the heads off of fish! He could only imagine what Edgar had in store for him.

"Great," he mumbled to himself, "Just great."

"Hey where's the new bait boy?" called Matt, standing below the wheelhouse, "Come here kid! You got work to do."

Griffin shot another look in Jack's direction. She smiled and motioned for him to go over to Matt.

"Better get started," she said, smiling in sympathy, "You got a lot of bait to chop up on our way out to the fishing grounds."

Griffin sauntered over to Matt and gave an uncertain glance at the bait chopper.

"This thing's pretty simple," explained Matt, "Just toss in some bait, keep your hands away from the blades, then fill the bait bags like this…and then you're done!"

Griffin shrugged, "Alright, sounds pretty easy."

"And you have to fill all of these up too," continued Matt, "They're bait jars. Sig uses them sometimes too."

Griffin's eyes grew wide with astonishment when he saw the numerous bags and jars that needed to be prepped and filled.

Matt gave him a pat on the shoulder as he walked away.

"Wait…where are you going?" asked Griffin, giving Matt a baffled look.

"Downstairs kid. That's where the rest of us will be until we reach the grounds. Feel free to join us when you're done!"

And with that, Matt followed the rest of the crew down into the galley.

Griffin shook his head and angrily began to fill another bag. Bait boy…that's not what he envisioned being when he begged to join the crew. He saw himself throwing the hook, pulling huge pots of crab, and maybe even taking some wheel watches, but this…this was not what he had in mind, not at all.

He mumbled irritably as he filled the bags. He felt a vibration begin to travel down the deck and realized that Sig had just hit the throttle for full speed ahead. It was a long ride out to the crab grounds and Griffin was going to spend most of it doing bait duty.

He grumbled mutinously under his breath.

"We'll see about that…"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Okay, so I'm leaving for college on August 12 so I may have to write every other day, depending on what all I have to do to get ready. Just FYI!! : )


	5. Chapter 5

Griffin walked back inside and slipped into his room. He was tired of grinding up bait and was ready for a nap. He glanced around before going into his room, making sure that no one noticed him.

The rest of the crew was sitting around the wheelhouse table playing a friendly game of poker. Edgar was winning, to everyone else's disgust.

Baylee laughed while she worked on cooking them a nice, hot meal. The crew was very welcoming to her and appreciative of what she would be doing for them during their time out at sea. She smiled to herself as she cooked. This might turn out to be a very good idea…

"Oh come on!" exclaimed Norman as Edgar laid down his cards, "A full house? Are you serious?"

"What can I say?" asked Edgar with a shrug and a very happy grin, "I'm good at this game."

"I'm just glad we aren't betting real money," muttered Jake, "I'd be broke and Edgar would be rolling in it!"

Baylee laughed as she passed out the plates of food. The crew dug in gratefully and began to eat while Norman grabbed the deck of cards.

Matt stood up and stretched, "I'll go check on the kid while you all shuffle the deck."

Matt walked out onto the deck and glanced around. He frowned in confusion when he did not see Griffin at the bait station. He glanced around one last time before he went back inside.

The crew was laughing and joking around while Norman dealt the cards.

"That kid's fast!" exclaimed Matt.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack.

"He's finished with the bait!"

Jack furrowed her brow and shot Edgar a look.

"That's not possible," she said, "There's no way he did all that bait that quickly."

Edgar frowned and stood up from behind the table.

"I'll go have a look," he muttered, "That kid better hope he is that fast."

Edgar walked out onto the deck and began to inspect the bait. Sure enough, there were still a ton of jars and bags lying around and boxes of frozen bait that had yet to be chopped up.

He sighed and shook his head in disbelief. As Edgar walked back inside he noticed that Griffin's door was closed. He shook his head in exasperation when he heard the light snores coming from inside of it.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed as he threw open the door.

Griffin jumped in surprise and looked around groggily.

"What? What happened?" he muttered.

"What happened?" shouted Edgar, angrily, "Don't you mean, what _didn't _happen? Like, oh I don't know, your job? What the hell are you thinking? Do you _want _to get fired your first time out?"

Griffin shrugged, "I got tired and I didn't really feel like doing it anymore. I mean, I'm the captain's son. Why should I be on bait duty?"

By now Jack had come up behind Edgar to see what all the commotion was about. She gaped openly when she heard Griffin's reply.

"You cannot be serious," she said, feeling anger rising up inside of her.

"Unfortunately I think he is," said Edgar, understanding his wife's anger.

Everyone had to be a greenhorn and had to do the nasty, not-so-fun jobs. It was all a part of training and moving up the ladder. It made one stronger and more understanding of how difficult and challenging this job really was. For someone to openly disobey and to refuse to work was something the Northwestern was not used to experiencing.

"I think he need's to go have a little chat with his father," said Edgar, "Normally I would punish him myself but I think this is a job for Sig."

Griffin's eyes grew wide with fear at the sound of that. Having to face his father was not something he was going to be looking forward to.

"I'll go inform him of the situation," said Edgar, "Be prepared to be called up to the wheelhouse within the next five minutes."

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	6. Chapter 6

**After much pleading and some extra, unexpected free-time, I decided to update!! : ) Enjoy!!**

Jack was startled at the tone Edgar had used when he addressed Griffin. She had not heard him quite so angry before, at least not in a long time.

She watched him stomp off and head up the stairs toward the wheelhouse. She frowned in concern, wondering if alerting Sig was really necessary. Perhaps just talking to the boy would be enough?

"Oh man," moaned Griffin as he put his head in his hands, "I'm so screwed."

A wave of pity washed over Jack. She was partially irritated at the kid for thinking that just because he was the captain's son meant he got to jump up a few spots on the ladder and did not have to do bait duty.

"Maybe if you stop acting like you're better than the rest of us things won't be so bad," said Jack with as much firmness as kindness in her voice.

Griffin glanced away guiltily. Part of him knew she was right but the other part of him wanted desperately to move up the ranks and to move up as quickly as possible.

Jack saw the hungry look in his eyes. She sighed in exasperation and shook her head.

"You better get that under control right away," she snapped.

Griffin looked up sharply, alarmed at her change in tone. He had half expected Edgar's wife to be kind and more laid back than the other deckhands, but the edge in her voice suggested otherwise.

"Wha…what do you mean?" he asked, shocked and confused at the same time.

"That drive. I can see right through you, Griffin. You're an open book, you wear your emotions on your sleeve," Jack sat on the edge of the bed beside of Griffin and sighed, "Look, I understand that you have that natural drive to be great. It's not too hard to see where it came from either. But you have to understand that everyone starts at the same place. I did, your uncles did, and your father did too. Your father was bait boy at one point in time too, you know. You can't just jump on a boat and expect to be captain. It takes time and experience…and respect for your senior deckhands."

She glared intently at him as she made her last point.

Griffin caught the look and nodded. This was no easy-going, laid back woman…she was a fighter.

"Anyways," said Jack, lightening up, "It is good to finally meet my nephew."

Griffin started slightly. He had not thought about it till now, but she was right. Jack was his aunt. He glanced up at her and smiled.

"Yeah, it's good to meet you too, Aunt Jack."

Jack smirked at the sound of that and ruffled his hair.

"Stop sucking up," she muttered, still smiling.

Griffin smiled back, but his face fell instantly when he heard his father's voice over the loud hailer.

"Griffin! Ger your butt up here NOW!"

Griffin glanced back up at Jack. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked back over at him.

"Nephew I'd say good luck, but I'm afraid you're going to need a little more than that to get you through this one!"

Griffin muttered under his breath as he stood and slowly walked out the door.

Jack watched Griffin, feeling sorry for the arrogant kid. She would not wish the punishment of getting yelled at by Sig on anyone.

Griffin stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up, swallowing nervously. He hesitated, wondering briefly if jumping into the Bering Sea would be a better idea.

"Griffin!" screamed Sig again.

Griffin winced and slowly began to ascend the stairs. As he opened the door, he saw Edgar standing up from the co-captain's chair to leave. Edgar glanced at Griffin, disappointment and annoyance on his face.

After Edgar closed the door behind him, Griffin turned slowly to face his father. He did not make eye-contact with him, just walked over to the co-captain's chair and sat down.

Sig had one hand over his mouth, the other tapping quickly on the arm chair. His eyes were blazing with anger as he stared coldly into the Bering Sea. Griffin half expected the sea to turn to ice with that glare. He fidgeted when he saw Sig turn the icy stare onto him. He felt a slight chill course down his spine and he squirmed in the seat.

"What…the…hell…was…that?" asked Sig with barely suppressed anger.

Griffin swallowed dryly and tried to form a response.

"You think you're better than all of them?" asked Sig before Griffin could reply, "You think that because you're my son that you can just come up here and do whatever the hell it is you want?"

"Dad, I'm…"

"No! You know what? Don't apologize," yelled Sig, holding up a hand to keep Griffin from speaking, "I'm sick of you apologizing for your screw ups! You say sorry and go out and do something else! I'm through with it, Griffin! If you're sorry prove it to me…and prove it to your crew! You realize now that you've got a lot of ground to cover with them? They've lost all respect for you, trust me. They respect hard work and cooperation, not selfish, spoiled captain's son crap! Got it?"

Griffin was looking down at his hands, feeling utterly horrible. He had let his dad down again, and he knew he was right. Every time he made a mistake and apologized, before long he was out doing the same kind of stuff all over again. He never had to work for anything in his life before. His dad's income had always been more than enough to supply him with what he wanted. But suddenly he felt a sense of determination take over him. He was tired of living his spoiled and lazy lifestyle. It was time for him to step up.

Griffin raised his head and met his father's eyes evenly.

"I am sorry," he said with confidence, "And you're right. I'll do my job…and I'll do it right. I'll make you proud, Dad."

Sig blinked in surprise. He was shocked by his son's reaction. He expected the usual argument and yelling that usually ensued. He looked away, smiling slightly to himself. Maybe Griffin coming out here was a good idea…

"Fine, but I want to see it, not just hear it."

Griffin nodded.

"I'll do my best…I promise."

Sig nodded as Griffin turned to walk down the stairs and back out into the galley. After a few minutes Sig turned around and went outside to lean over the rail and look down at the baiting area. He shook his head in bewilderment.

Griffin was chopping up the bait…

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	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the crew could hear Sig yelling from the wheelhouse. Matt's eyes widened and he gave a low whistle.

"Man that doesn't sound good," he muttered.

"Yeah but the kid needs it," replied Edgar as he grabbed a cup of coffee, "His captain's son mentality needs a good kick in the pants."

Jack smirked and gave Edgar a warning look as she sauntered over to him.

"Aw, give the kid a break, Edgar," she murmured, "He's still a greenhorn. He'll shape up, don't worry. And you didn't like me too much when I joined the crew, remember?"

Edgar muttered something under his breath, but the corners of his mouth were lifted slightly as he gazed at his wife.

"And now you're married to me!" laughed Jack, "So just give him some time to adjust, okay?"

Edgar glanced away, still looking irritated. Jack rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Edgar, wrapping her arms around him.

Edgar felt his anger dissipate instantly. A smirk played on his face as he ran his hands through her hair. Jack always knew how to make him feel better.

When Jack looked up, Edgar gave her a suggestive look. She smiled and nodded. Edgar's boyish grin widened as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the galley.

"Oh dear Lord," muttered Jake with an amused grin.

"At least they're getting a room," said Matt, "Its better than having to watch them play kissy-face in front of us, right?"

Edgar heard the comment and laughed as he shut his door.

Matt made a gagging noise and Norman laughed in amusement.

Just then, Griffin came inside from chopping up bait and plopped down wearily in a seat behind the table.

"Tired greenhorn?" asked Matt.

Griffin nodded, "Yeah, a little."

"Well at least he's working," said Norman, giving his nephew a hard stare.

Griffin glanced away, feeling guilty again.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, fiddling with his hands, "I'll make it up to you guys…I promise."

Jake smirked and shook his head.

"Poor kid…has no idea what's coming."

Matt and Norman laughed in agreement.

Griffin looked around, startled and a little fearful at the meaning behind Jake's words.

"What do you mean?" he asked, hesitantly.

"You haven't even been hazed yet!" exclaimed Matt, "And now you've already done a big no-no by walking away from your job. Sheesh…kid you got it _all_ coming to you!"

Griffin's eyes widened in fear and he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when his mother walked into the galley.

"Hey boys!" she said cheerfully as she made her way into the galley.

"How was your nap?" asked Norman.

"Oh, good except for when I heard my husband yelling," she replied, shooting a glare in Griffin's direction.

Griffin looked away, pretending he had not noticed.

"Anyway," said Baylee, "I'm going to get started on a big lunch for you guys. From what I can tell, Sig's already in a bad mood so I can't imagine what kind of work he's got in store for you."

The crew grumbled and shot looks at Griffin. Griffin held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Hey! I said sorry!"

Jake laughed and punched Griffin in the arm.

"Just don't do it again, alright? We got enough work on our hands…we don't need angry Sig giving us more!"

Baylee smirked as she began to prepare their lunch. They were only three hours away from the crab grounds and she wanted to make sure the crew was well-fed and energized before they dropped the first pots. Once she had the stove going, she turned to head up to the wheelhouse. She figured it may be a good idea to talk to Sig before he sent his poor, innocent crew out onto the deck.

"Permission to enter, Captain?" asked Baylee as she opened the door.

Sig sneered, "Yeah, get in here."

"You're ordering me around_ already_?" asked Baylee with a smile.

Sig smiled back and held out his arm. Baylee walked over and gave her husband a hug. She was surprised when Sig grabbed her suddenly and put her on his lap. She gave a startled shout, but laughed after he sat her on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. He laid his head against her arm and sighed.

"Are you okay?" asked Baylee, suddenly concerned.

"Yeah…just worried, as always."

Sig was suddenly very grateful for his wife's company. They never got to spend much time together because he was gone so much. Perhaps it really was a good idea for them to be out her together?

"So how does all this work?" asked Baylee as she glanced at the screens and controls.

Sig smiled to himself as he began to point out different things and explain them to her. Baylee listened attentively, enjoying this moment of peace with her husband before the chaos of fishing began. She could tell he liked it too. She could only imagine the stress that he went through during his many trips, now she was about to experience it firsthand. She just hoped that it would not affect their relationship in anyway. 

They already did not see each other a lot. The last thing that they needed was a bad argument out in the middle of the Bering Sea.

She sighed and leaned back against him. Sig smiled and hugged his wife tightly to him, wishing that the entire trip could be this good…

PLEASE REVIEW!!

ICK! Crappy chapter ending…lol…I criticize my own work too much!!

Starting tomorrow I have to do some stuff online for college so I'll be busy. I'll try to update if I can tonight and MAYBE tomorrow, but it depends on how long this online stuff takes me. Just FYI…


	8. Chapter 8

"So, exactly how long are the shifts?"

The entire crew laughed openly at Griffin's latest question. They were dumping their second string for the day and had already been up for about twenty-four hours.

"Kid, the fun's just begun!" replied Matt.

"We could be out here for the next three days straight if your father says so," replied Jake, "We just follow orders."

Griffin sneered and muttered something under his breath.

Jack and Edgar exchanged a worried glance. They were both concerned about Griffin and his future on the boat. From what they could tell so far, the kid was trying to make up for his earlier mistake but every once and a while he would say something that would irritate them all. Every one of the deckhands had been in Griffin's shoes once. The fact that he was unwilling to accept his position made them angry.

Meanwhile, below deck…

Baylee was cleaning the galley and preparing to cook the crew another meal. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and sighed. The crew had been out working for over a day now with no sleep and only quick bites of food to eat.

After a few more minutes, concern for the crew overtook Baylee. She stood up from behind the table and made her way up to the wheelhouse.

"Hey, Sig?" she called as she opened the door.

"Yeah, honey what is it?" asked Sig as he finished plotting something on one of the screens.

"I was just wondering how long the boys are going to be out there working."

Sig shot her a look. He shrugged, "I don't know. Depends on how long it takes to set two more strings."

"Two more strings?" asked Baylee in exasperation, "Sig they've already set two strings and they're dead tired! They need a break."

Sig felt his patience beginning to slip away. His wife, who had never been on the boat before, was now pestering him about how hard he worked_ his _crew.

"Baylee they're used to this," he replied, attempting to stay calm, "They'll be fine."

"I think they should get a few hours sleep and a good warm meal," Baylee pressed, "They deserve it!"

Sig felt his last strand of patience slowly ripping apart.

"I'd love for them to do that to!" he shouted, "But they have work to do and so do I! They'll do their job and then they'll sleep, alright?"

"No, it's not alright," she protested as she folded her arms, unwilling to give up the fight.

Sig rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Baylee, I didn't bring you up here so we could fight."

"And why not? It's all we do at home right?"

Sig froze and shot her a hurt look.

"We don't always fight…"

Baylee sneered, "Don't lie to yourself Sig. Every day it's something else…Griffin, the laundry, how long you're going to be gone next time, how the family is run, who does what…it's an endless list, Sig! So why is this any different?"

"Baylee, look…"

"No! I'm sick of all this! The only reason I came up here was to keep an eye on my son and to spend more time with you. Sig…do you have any idea how hard it is for me when you're gone? I miss you so much, but then when you're home we argue. It's a losing battle and I don't know how to turn it around."

The sorrowful look in her eyes nearly broke Sig's heart. He gave her a concerned look and tried to reason with her.

"Honey, I'm just…"

But Baylee held up her hand to stop him.

"No…no I don't want to hear anything from you for awhile. I just…I just need some time alone."

Baylee walked quickly out of the wheelhouse. Sig watched her go, his heart heavy with guilt and despair and his mind weighted down by the load of work he had ahead of him.

This was going to be a very long trip…

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	9. Chapter 9

Baylee felt the tears burning behind her eyes. She had to leave the wheelhouse right away.

As she went back into the galley, she sat down at the table and put her head in her hands. She wondered if things between her and Sig would ever be okay again.

When they had met, the fishing did not bother her at first. For the first few years of their marriage it was just a part of their lives. She accepted it and learned how to cope when he left. But in the past couple years, every time he came home they fought. After months of being away from each other they had simply lost the bond they used to have. They were more like acquaintances than a married couple.

She mentally kicked herself for arguing with him up in the wheelhouse. She had just started an argument over something stupid…just like they always did back at home.

She glanced around the empty galley, suddenly wondering what she would do for the next couple hours until it was time to cook the boys another meal.

Her eyes brightened slightly as an idea popped into her mind. She made her way over to the area where the crew changed into their rain gear. She saw a couple extra sets of gear hanging up and lying around the small room and began to pick them up. She studied them for a couple minutes before she put them on. She opened the door and walked out onto the deck.

A blast of frigid air and freezing spray welcomed her outside. She shielded her eyes against the wintry blow and glanced around.

Jake was the first person who saw her. He dropped a bait bag and gaped in surprise.

"Mrs. Hansen?"

Edgar and Jack whirled around from where they were working near the hydraulics. Their eyes were wide with surprise as they looked at the baffled woman.

"Mom?" asked Griffin, "Mom what are you doing out here?"

Griffin hurried over to his mom and tried to lead her back inside.

"You shouldn't be out here!" he exclaimed.

Jack was touched slightly at the sound of concern in Griffin's voice. Regardless of his attitude out on deck, the boy obviously did have a heart.

"I'm fine," protested Baylee as she pulled away, "I want to see what all you guys do out here. I wanna know what it's like to be a crabber!"

Her bright, naïve smile made the rest of the crew nervous. They glanced up at the wheelhouse to see if Sig was watching but he wasn't.

"Does your husband know about this?" asked Matt uneasily.

Baylee's gaze hardened slightly.

"No, but it doesn't matter."

Edgar raised an eyebrow and he and Norman exchanged somewhat scared looks. If something happened to Sig's wife out on the deck Sig would have their heads mounted on his wheelhouse wall.

"So, what do I do first?" asked Baylee as she adjusted her gloves.

Griffin's face brightened slightly as he gazed at his mom.

"Well, you could help me with bait if you want," he offered, pointing at the bait area, "It's the safest place on deck too."

"Okay!" agreed Baylee as she followed her son.

"Um, shouldn't someone let Sig know about this?" asked Jack, an edge to her voice, "He'd be ticked if something bad happened."

Edgar shook his head in disbelief, "I don't know, but I'll tell you what I do know…there's no way this is going to go over well…no way at all."

Baylee let out a squeal as Griffin showed her how to slice a cod. Blood splattered from the cod's carcass and Baylee wrinkled her nose at the smell. Griffin laughed at the look on her face and handed her the knife.

"Did he just give Sig's wife a _knife_?" asked Norman, jokingly, "You're right Edgar…this can't go over well!"

They watched as Baylee grabbed a cod and cut it open just like Griffin showed her.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Okay, I'm impressed. She did it on her first try without throwing up!"

Jake smirked as he tossed a line down on the deck.

"Wanna take bets as to how long she'll stay out here?"

Matt punched Jake playfully in the arm.

"Let's just wait and see what happens," he said as he glanced back over at Baylee and Griffin.

"This isn't a good idea," murmured Edgar, "I'm telling you, I've got a bad feeling about this!"

"You got a bad feeling about everything!" joked Norman, "I'm with Matt. Let's see how she does. She might not be so bad."

Jack and Edgar exchanged nervous and uncertain glances. They were both thinking the same thing….

Sig was going to kill them.

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	10. Chapter 10

"Hey Mom!" called Griffin, "You wanna toss the hook?"

Edgar turned around and gave Griffin an exasperated look. This kid had guts if he thought he could just decide who got to throw the hook and who didn't.

"I think that's up to the deck boss," said Jack with a touch of annoyance to her voice, "Greenhorns don't make decisions on this boat."

Matt raised an eyebrow and smirked when he heard the annoyance in Jack's voice. She was usually the more calm-headed and understanding one of the crew but even Jack was beginning to have enough of the captain's son.

"Well, I just think…"

"No," interrupted Edgar, voice firm and unquestioning, "You don't think anything! Greenhorns have no opinion privileges. Got it?"

Griffin's eyes flashed angrily at Edgar. His jaw tightened as he opened his mouth to argue. Jack stepped between then quickly and gave Griffin a hard look.

"I think you and I need to have another talk," she said, anger and frustration reflecting in her eyes.

Griffin tried to protest but Jack grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the other side of the boat.

"Baylee, go back inside," she snarled as she walked by.

"But…"

"Now!" shouted Jack, temper beginning to flare, "You're not supposed to be out here anyway!"

Baylee opened her mouth to argue, but the look in Jack's eyes held no room for argument. She sighed and walked towards the door, casting a regretful glance across the deck. Part of her really wanted to be out here, but Jack was right…she didn't come here to fish.

Edgar sighed and shook his head, "Well, I think she took the words right out of my mouth!"

Matt sneered as he grabbed the next bait setup.

"Let's just hope they listen to her…"

Meanwhile, up in the wheelhouse…

Sig was glancing at the monitors as he approached the next location to drop a string of pots.

As he took off his glasses, he glanced down at the screen that showed him what was going on down on the deck. He froze when he saw his wife walking towards the galley dressed in full turnout gear.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he snarled as he leapt up out of his chair and stormed out of the wheelhouse…

Meanwhile…

"Griffin you really got a lot to learn you know that?" snapped Jack.

Griffin mumbled something under his breath and did not look up at her.

"I'm dead serious! I don't care if you're the captain's son or not, you have to grow up a bit if you want to make it out here! You're a greenhorn regardless of who you're related to so you're going to be treated like one until you prove to us that you deserve better! You make absolutely no decisions on this boat and you have absolutely no opinion! So it'd be best if you kept your mouth shut and just do what you're told, got it?"

Griffin sighed and nodded slightly. He understood what Jack was telling him, but part of him resented being talked down to. He was not the type of person who liked staying on the bottom of the totem pole for very long.

"Fine, I get it."

"Do you really?" pressed Jack, "Because you told me you got it the last time we talked and obviously you didn't."

She sighed and ran a hand through her windblown hair, "Just do me one favor okay?"

Griffin glanced up and nodded, "Yeah, sure…what?"

"Forget you're the captain's son. Pretend you're an average guy, okay? You'll get more respect from these guys if you're not acting like you're better than us."

"What the hell do you think you guys are doing?" shouted Sig as he stormed onto the deck.

"Oh no," murmured Jack as she watched Sig approached the rest of the crew.

Jack turned to Griffin and gave him a look.

"Come on, greenhorn," she muttered, "It's time to get yelled at."

"What'd we do?" asked Griffin, bewildered at the furious look in his father's eyes.

"Okay, that's another thing," said Jack as she turned around to face him again, "Don't ask that question…ever. Trust me, Sig'll tell us exactly what we did. Just don't ask."

As Jack and Griffin walked over to the rest of the crew, Sig whirled around and glared at them.

"Nice of you two to join us!" he snapped.

Jack flinched slightly but did not argue back.

"It was my fault dad," said Griffin.

Jack sighed in exasperation and shook her head.

"Griffin," she hissed, warningly under her breath.

"She was talking to me about a few things," he continued.

Sig's eyes flashed.

"Did I ask for an explanation?"

Griffin grew silent and looked away.

Jack shook her head again as Sig turned his angry gaze to the rest of the crew.

"I want to know what the hell was going through your heads when you let my wife come out on deck!" he shouted.

No one dared to answer.

"What'd she do while she was out here?" he pressed, "What work did you make her do?"

"It wasn't like that," said Griffin.

Jack could have strangled the kid at this point. The rest of the crew gave him pleading looks, begging him to just stay quiet and let Sig have his rant.

Sig whirled around to face his son.

"She just wanted to see what it was like," he said, lowering his voice under his dad's infuriated glare.

"So you let your mother come out onto a rolling deck where thousand pound pots swing around wildly and with the waves crashing over the starboard rail?" he asked in disbelief.

"She stayed at the bait area," insisted Griffin, "She didn't go to the rail. I kept my eye on her I promise!"

Jack glanced up at Sig to judge his reaction. She was surprised to see a scared and worried look on his face rather than the anger that was there just seconds ago.

"Don't let it happen again," he muttered as he turned and walked quickly back inside and up into the wheelhouse.

The rest of the crew looked dumbfounded.

"What's wrong with Sig?" asked Matt.

"I don't know," murmured Norman, "Something's bothering him."

Griffin had a deeply sad look in his eyes. He walked slowly away from the group and disappeared into the galley.

Jack frowned in concern. There was something else going on here…something that was affecting all of Sig's family. She knew that if she could find out what that was that there may be a way to make all of this better.

"It was a bad idea he had of bringing them onboard," said Edgar quietly, "Just a bad idea…"

Jack shot him a surprised look, but caught herself. Perhaps he was right…maybe it was just a bad idea…

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	11. Chapter 11

As Sig walked back into the galley he made a bee-line for the wheelhouse stairs. He paused when he heard shuffling in Baylee's room.

He hesitated, wondering if confronting her was really worth the argument that he knew would ensue. Part of him wanted to ignore it, but part of him knew that if he didn't then Baylee would do whatever she pleased and could possibly get hurt. He sighed in exasperation and put his hand on the door knob.

"Baylee?" he called as he knocked on the door, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," came a muffled and curt reply.

Sig tightened his jaw, preparing for the worst, as he walked inside the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned on it as he looked down at his wife who was now lying down on her bed.

"What were you doing out there?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level.

Baylee's eyes flashed angrily.

"I just wanted to see what it was like," she snapped.

"What what was like?" asked Sig, trying to coax his wife into explaining her actions without causing her to have a meltdown.

"What it was like to be a deckhand," she replied as she glanced away, suddenly feeling rather foolish, "I wanted to be with my son for a while. He was showing me how to do the bait set ups and we were having a good time…well, that is until _Jack_ yelled at me. All Griffin did was ask if I wanted to throw the hook and she just flipped out!"

"And for good reason," replied Sig firmly, "You shouldn't even be out there at all much less standing by the starboard rail tossing the hook!"

Sig instantly knew that he had raised his voice a little too much. The angry glint returned to Baylee's eyes as she gave him a defiant glare.

"And why not?" she snapped, "If my eighteen year old son can do it then why can't I?"

"_Our_ son is learning what he needs to learn at a specific pace!" shouted Sig, "Even _he_ isn't throwing the hook yet! There's a method to this madness we call fishing and it needs to be followed to a 'T' or everything gets screwed up and people get killed!"

"So why don't you want me doing bait?" retorted Baylee, "I could go out there and just stay at the baiting area."

"Because I already have a six-man crew, Baylee!" replied Sig, "I almost had to fire one of them a while back for safety regulations! And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you out there…I couldn't."

The sincerity in Sig's voice seemed to have an effect on Baylee. She glanced away and sighed in resignation. She looked back up at him and was startled to see a pleading and almost sad look in his eyes.

"Honey, please," he said, speaking barely above a whisper, "Please listen to me. I don't want to fight with you anymore. Just do this for me…okay?"

Baylee swallowed back the emotion that threatened to climb its way up her throat. She nodded, not making eye-contact with her husband.

Sig sighed in relief and walked over to her. He sat on the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you," he murmured as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He held her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Sig?" she whispered in a slightly shaky voice, "Are we…are we ever going to stop this?"

"What's that?" asked Sig with concern.

"Fighting…I don't want to fight anymore either. It just seems like whenever something bad happens, however big or little it may be, we argue and yell…and I just can't take it anymore."

"I know," murmured Sig, "We just have to work on it…we both do. I love you, Baylee…I always will. No matter what happens or what we say or do to each other, I will always love you."

Baylee smiled and tried to wipe a tear from her eye. Sig reached down and did it for her, bending down to kiss her lips. They smiled at each other and Sig stood up to leave.

"I'll see you later," he murmured.

Baylee nodded and smiled as Sig winked at her before he left to head back up to the wheelhouse.

Meanwhile, out on deck…

"Hey Edgar?" asked Matt rather loudly and in a foreign accent

The rest of the crew glanced over at Matt, giving him curious and almost fearful stares. Norman leaned over to Jack.

"I think he's finally cracked!" he hissed under his breath.

Jack laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Yes dear Matt?" replied Edgar in the same a British-like accent.

"Do you recall the procedure we carry out to deal with arrogant, know-it-all greenhorns?"

Edgar smirked slightly. He dropped the line he was coiling and put a hand on his chin, pretending to be in deep thought.

"Hmmm, it has been a while hasn't it?" he replied.

"Yes, it just seems to have slipped my mind," said Matt with a mischievous grin.

Griffin looked between the two deckhands, eyes wide with panic. Jack and Norman couldn't help but laugh at the greenhorn's expense. Perhaps it was time for the kid to be a little nervous…nothing like a good hazing to keep him on his toes!

"Well, come to think of it," said Edgar as he walked slowly towards Griffin, "I believe I do remember one method."

"Oh, do you?" asked Matt.

Jack laughed at their fake, fancy-British accents.

"Why, yes dear Matt I do!"

Griffin began to take a few steps backwards as the two men approached him.

"Why, do tell Edgar, do tell!"

"I recall that we corner the lad…"

Norman had slunk away to come up on Griffin from behind. Griffin didn't have a clue he was there and as he took another step back, Norman grabbed him. Jake ran over to help, laughing as he held down Griffin's arms.

"Then what do we do Edgar?" asked Jake, also speaking in a fake British accent.

"Why, young Jake my lad! We tie him to the crane!"

"Why Edgar that's simply genius!" exclaimed Norman.

"Yes! Let us tie him to the crane!" cried Matt as the deckhands began to half-drag and half-carry the poor, screaming greenhorn over to the crane.

Jack ran over to the controls and began to lower the crane down to the deck.

"Guys! Come on! Let me down!" shouted Griffin in panic.

"Oh no dear lad!" said Edgar, "We can't have any of that now! It would spoil the fun!"

Norman ran to get more rope and they began to tie Griffin to the crane. Once they were done they turned to Jack.

"My lady," said Edgar with an overly-done bow.

Jack laughed as she raised the crane into the air.

Sig glanced out his wheelhouse window when he heard Griffin start to yell for help. He nearly fell out of his chair he was laughing so hard at the sight.

Jack slowly lowered the crane down towards the water. Griffin's yells grew to screams of desperation as he neared the frigid sea.

Norman and Jake disappeared into the galley and returned shortly with containers in their arms.

Griffin squealed and screamed loudly as he was dunked into the Bering Sea. Jack let the crane come back up only after the water reached up to the boy's chest. As he was lifted back up into the air, the deckhands broke into the cartons and pulled something out of them.

Griffin shivered with cold as he glared at the deckhands below him. His eyes widened with fear yet again when he saw what was in their hands.

"No…no, no, no! Come on! Isn't the water enough!"

Edgar laughed almost evilly as he launched something at Griffin. Griffin shouted angrily when it splattered on his face.

Jack nearly fell over laughing at the controls. They were throwing eggs at the poor kid!

Soon the other deckhands joined Edgar and a borage of eggs hit Griffin. His arms and legs were tied to the crane so he was helpless to block any of them. He spat out eggshells as the cracked around and in his mouth. After a minute or two, the deckhands moaned sadly when they realized they were out of eggs.

Jack lowered the crane back to the deck and the sticky, messy, slimy, and freezing cold greenhorn was untied. He glared at them, but a slight twinkle in his eyes betrayed the fact that he was also slightly amused by the whole thing.

The crew was laughing so hard that they were either crouching or lying on the ground, tears coming from their eyes.

Griffin shot them a final, somewhat feigned, glare and walked into the galley to clean himself up.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Okay I'm going on a short road trip this weekend so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to write or not…so I decided to update tonight to make up for it. I made the chapter longer than usual too…I will start the sequel to So Others May Live on Monday!! : ) And thanks so much to everyone who's reading and reviewing!! I appreciate all the feedback!!**


	12. Chapter 12

Later that day the crew sat in the wheelhouse enjoying a rather large steak dinner provided by Baylee. The moral was high and the crew was pumped up about hauling their first string.

"Hey, Edgar?" asked Matt.

Jack stopped chewing for a second when she saw the mischievous gleam in his eyes. She waited, wondering what he was about to say.

"Yeah?" asked Edgar.

"Could you pass me the eggs….oh no wait, that's right!"

Matt shot Griffin a highly amused look.

Griffin couldn't help but laugh slightly. He pushed Matt in feigned anger while Matt began to laugh hysterically.

Jack rolled her eyes at the sight while Baylee smiled as she sat down a bowl of green beans on the table.

"What's all the ruckus about?" asked Sig as he strolled into the galley, a smile on his face.

The crew raised their eyebrows and elbowed one another in surprise. Sig was actually _happy_?"

Sig walked over to Baylee and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he took his place at the table.

Jack glanced over at Griffin and saw him beaming happily. She smiled to herself, pleased to see that Sig's family seemed to be getting along much better.

After they finished their evening meal, Edgar stood up and stretched.

"Man I'm really looking forward to some sleep!"

Sig laughed, "Sorry, not happening."

Edgar's shoulders slumped and he rubbed a hand over his tired eyes as he pretended to cry.

"I should of knocked on wood before I said that," he muttered.

"We're hauling the first string in five minutes," announced Sig as he stood up, "So finish up and get dressed."

Baylee stood up and began to take some dishes to the sink.

Sig hesitated and turned around slowly. He opened his mouth to speak and everyone stopped what they were doing. Sig hesitated again, took a deep breath, and then spoke.

"And…Baylee's on bait duty."

Baylee nearly dropped the plate she was carrying. She gaped in shock and stared at Sig in disbelief.

Jack shot Sig a slightly irritated look. She had already expressed her feelings about Baylee being on deck and she had assumed that her captain shared them. It was way too dangerous to allow Sig's wife on deck and the possibilities of something going horribly wrong with seven people on deck were very high. She shook her head and shot Edgar a look. She was relieved to see that he had the same doubtful and upset look in his eyes too. At least someone else shared her feelings on the issue.

Baylee squealed happily and gave her husband a hug.

"Now, now," said Sig, pulling away, "This is all on one condition…you stay at the bait area and at the bait area _only_. Okay?"

Baylee nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah that's fine!" she cried, "Oh, thank you so much! I gotta go get ready!"

Edgar, Norman, and Jack exchanged fearful looks. Their faces foreshadowed what they almost new would happen. Sig's hard-headed wife would most likely do something she wasn't supposed to and get herself or someone else hurt…or worse.

Jake, Matt, and Griffin looked rather excited about Sig's decision to allow his wife to work on deck. They chatted excitedly as they walked out of the gallery, leaving Edgar, Norman, and Jack behind.

"This sucks," muttered Norman.

Edgar sneered in agreement and shook his head in disbelief.

Jack leaned on Edgar's shoulder and sighed.

"What in the world is that man thinking?"….

Meanwhile, up in the wheelhouse…

Sig leaned back in his chair and sighed. He was contemplating his last-minute decision to allow his wife to join the crew.

What if something happened to her? What if she got hurt? What if…?

He couldn't bring himself to even think the worst. He shook his head, wondering why he even said what he had said. Part of him wanted his wife to be happy and to feel like her husband wasn't holding her back, but the other part of him desperately wanted her safe inside the galley where forty foot waves couldn't slam into her.

The first buoys were appearing at the bow of the Northwestern and Sig instantly transitioned back into captain-mode.

"Alright guys," he said over the loud hailer, "Buoys on the bow…let's catch us some crab!"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

I typed this while we were on the road! : )

I'll try to update tomorrow if I can and I still hope to start the sequel to So Others May Live on Monday!

Thanks for all the feedback!! : )


	13. Chapter 13

Edgar lit the hook on fire and tossed it out into the Bering Sea. The crew cheered as the traditional good luck throw was a success.

"Come on, come on, come on," chanted Jake as he leaned over the rail, "Please let there be crab in this…please!"

Jack shared his anticipation. The first string was always an important one to the crew. It would make or break the moral and as of recently the moral was rather good and Jack did not want that to go away.

Baylee watched from the baiting area. If the pots were good then Sig would order them to be reset and she would have to start doing bait duty, otherwise she would have to go back inside until they moved to another location to drop another string.

"Yeah!" shouted Jake.

Matt, Norman, Jack, Griffin, and Edgar leaned over the rail to take a look at the pot as it came up.

Instantly they all broke out into excited cheers. The pot was packed full of large, clean, King Crab.

"Red gold baby!" exclaimed Jake, "Yeah! Woohoo!"

Edgar laughed as he helped Jake swing the pot around.

Griffin was practically leaping with joy at the sight of the crab. This was his first time seeing the massive creatures up close. It was as thrilling as it was daunting.

After the crew dumped the crab onto the table, Baylee walked over to take a closer look at the crab.

Jack shot her a look.

"I thought Sig said you stay at the bait area?"

Baylee gave Jack an irritated look. She really did not like Edgar's bossy, nagging young wife.

"I'm fine, thanks," she snapped.

Jack's eyes flashed in anger for a brief second but she forced herself to remain calm. Sig would have to deal with this issue on his own, that is of course if he chose to. Jack was rather disappointed in her captain. He just caved in and let Baylee have her way.

After the sorting was done, Baylee came up with the next bait set up and passed it to Griffin.

"Thanks Mom!" he said as he ran over to the pot and scrambled inside.

Baylee nodded and smiled at her son. She was so proud of him!

She was about to return to her station but paused. She glanced up a the wheelhouse and saw that Sig was not paying much attention to the deck at the moment, so she decided to hang around the starboard side of the boat and watch her son hang the bait.

Jack turned around and saw Baylee leaning over the starboard rail. She sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. This woman was getting on her nerves.

Jack was just about to open her mouth to warn Baylee that the starboard rail was the most dangerous place on the boat to just mill around when suddenly, a large wave smacked into the starboard bow and traveled down the rail, heading straight for Baylee.

"Look out!" Jack screamed.

The rest of the crew whirled around to see what was going on. They too began to shout and scream in panic as they watched the wave hit Baylee.

The wave swamped the deck with water, causing the crew to stubble and slide across the deck. The pot that had been on the launcher with Griffin still in it flew to the stern of the boat. Griffin was screaming in terror as the pot slammed into the stern railing.

As the wave finally cleared, the crew ran over to Griffin. While they were all pulling Griffin out of the pot, Jack was standing by the sorting table, frozen in shock. Her mouth was open and moving slightly but nothing was coming out.

Edgar glanced over and saw his wife's expression. He instantly knew something was horribly wrong.

"Honey?" he called out to her, "Jack what is it?"

Reality seemed to finally make its way back to Jack. She shook her head and shot Edgar a horrified look.

"Baylee…Baylee, just…she went over…I don't see her…oh my…"

Jack stammered, trying desperately to force her frozen mind to work properly. She grabbed the life-ring and ran to the rail. She looked out over the choppy seas, trying to find Baylee within all the freezing spray.

Edgar alerted the rest of the crew. Griffin was limping heavily and struggling to make it back to the galley, but when he heard the news he turned and forced himself to run over to the rail.

"Mom!" he shouted in fear and desperation.

But Baylee was no where to be seen….

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**My apologies for not updating yesterday…I was SUPER busy with college shopping, studying, and the DC marathon! : )**

**I'm about to start the So Others May Live sequel…I'm thinking its gonna be called: Real Life. **

**Thanks for all the reviews!!**

**And for some reason the emails fan fiction sent out didn't have review reply options…there was just one with the review reply option so I apologize for not responding to everyone's review…hopefully it'll be better this time around!! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Managed to get some more time to write!! Thanks for reviewing everyone!!**

"Where is she?" cried Norman.

Edgar ran back and forth across the deck, peering into the dark water.

Jake ran up to the wheelhouse, yelling for Sig.

Sig turned around in his chair, surprised and concerned to see Jake rushing up the stairs to the wheelhouse.

"Baylee went overboard!" shouted Jake, "That wave…it took off the boat!"

Sig felt like his whole world had just stopped turning.

"Wh…what?" he stammered, having trouble wrapping his mind around the situation, "Oh my…we have to turn around…oh, Baylee…"

Jake didn't have time to console his captain. He rushed downstairs and went to get a survival suit. If she was unable to grab the life-ring, someone needed to be prepared to jump in to get her. He shook slightly as he put on the suit. He had never been in the Bering Sea and he never intended to until today. The thought terrified him, but he knew he had to do what needed to be done to save Baylee.

"There she is!" cried Griffin as the boat turned back around, "She's off the port side! Off the bow!"

Sig heard his son's cry and looked out in the direction he was pointing. The sight of his wife struggling in the frigid sea sent a horrible chill of dread through Sig's heart. He tried to get as close to her as he could…it was all up to his crew now.

"Jack! Toss it!" cried Matt.

Jack tossed the life-ring to Baylee. She tried to swim over to get it but the panicked look in her eyes told Jack everything.

"She can't get it!" she yelled, "She's panicking!"

Just then, Jake rushed out of the galley fully dressed in a survival suit. The crew gaped in astonishment as they all watched Jake rush towards the side of the boat.

"Jake!" shouted Jack, in horror as she watched her friend jump into the water.

Jack over to the spot Jake had been standing only a second ago. She leaned over the rail and watched him swim strongly out to Baylee. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched him grab Baylee and begin to swim back to the boat.

Edgar and Norman rushed over. They leaned over the rail to grab Baylee's arms as Jake tried to lift her up out of the water the best that he could.

Together, the Hansen brothers pulled Baylee up onto the boat. She collapsed on the deck, shivering with shock and cold.

Jack and Matt leaned over to help get Jake back into the boat. Once Jake was back over, Jack nearly smothered him in a hug.

"You are so insane!" she chided, "But I'm so proud of you!"

Jake laughed weakly and smiled.

"Let's get her inside," said Edgar, "She needs to get dry immediately."

Together, the crew helped Baylee and Jake get back inside the galley. They carried Baylee into Jack's room. Jack closed the door behind her and began to help Baylee get out of her soaking wet clothes and into some dry ones.

Griffin lingered outside the door, pacing worriedly.

The rest of the crew helped Jake out of the survival suit.

"Dude I got a whole new respect for you!" said Matt, "That was sweet!"

"She owes you her life," agreed Edgar.

Just then, Sig came down from the wheelhouse.

The entire crew froze and glanced up at their captain as he walked into the galley.

If looks could kill…

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	15. Chapter 15

Edgar froze on the spot. He had never seen his brother look so angry before.

Sig swept a furious glare across his crew. He was breathing hard from a combination of terror and absolute rage.

Just then, Jack came back out of her room and shut the door behind her.

"Well she's asleep now. I got her…"

She froze in mid-sentence and mid-step when she made eye-contact with Sig. She felt a chill creep down her spine and swallowed nervously.

"Is she okay?" asked Sig, forcing his voice to stay level.

Jack's eyes were wide with fear. She just nodded and glanced away awkwardly.

"I want to know who let her get to the starboard side of the boat," he snarled, glaring at his crew, "And I want to know _now_!"

The crew all looked away, uncertain as to how to answer that question.

Griffin cleared his throat.

"Um…I think it might have been my fault…I was putting the bait in the pot and she ran over to watch."

"But you were inside the pot, right?" snapped Sig.

Griffin nodded.

"Then it wasn't your fault…and besides you're a greenhorn, you're not responsible for things like this."

Jack barely suppressed a sneer at that. The kid wasn't responsible for anything as far as she could tell.

"So who allowed it?" he snarled.

No one responded.

"Fine," snapped Sig, anger flashing in his eyes, "Then I'll call you up one by one to the wheelhouse…and you'd better tell me the truth!"

Sig stomped back up the stairs and slammed the wheelhouse door shut.

The crew glanced at each other, eyes wide with fear.

"He's gonna separate us," muttered Matt, "We're all screwed…"

"But it was nobody's fault!" hissed Edgar under his breath, "We weren't the ones who allowed her on deck in the first place."

"Exactly," agreed Jack.

"Edgar!" growled Sig over the loud hailer.

Edgar winced slightly and gave the crew a regretful glance.

"Well…it was nice knowing all of you," he whispered as he slowly trudged up the stairs.

The rest of the crew sighed and sat around the table in the galley, fidgeting nervously.

After a couple minutes, Edgar walked down the stairs and back into the galley. His eyes were wide with bewilderment as he glanced at the crew. He shook his head and sighed.

"Matt, you're next."

Matt moaned as he stood up and went into the wheelhouse.

After an hour nearly the entire crew had been up and out of the wheelhouse. Only Griffin and Jack were left to be questioned.

"Griffin, you're up," said Norman as he slowly walked back inside the galley.

Jack waited nervously, knowing that she would be the last person to speak with the angry captain.

As Griffin walked down the stairs, Jack was unnerved by the look in his eyes. He shot her a fearful and almost apologetic look as he passed by.

Jack narrowed her eyes curiously as she made her way up to the wheelhouse, heart hammering with fear and uncertainty.

"Captain?" she asked as she slowly opened the door.

"Get in here, now!"

Jack wished desperately that she was anywhere but in the wheelhouse of the Northwestern. She walked over to Sig and sat on the bench behind his chair.

Sig turned and glared angrily at her.

"So I was told you saw Baylee go over to the starboard side and did nothing about it," he snarled in an angry, low tone.

Jack nodded slowly, a sense of dread creeping up her spine.

"Yes sir, that's true."

"And why would you do something like that?"

"I…well the last time I tried to talk to her about something like that she wasn't too happy about it at all. I guess I was trying to avoid another confrontation. I also assumed you'd take care of it."

"I can't keep my eyes on the deck every single second!" shouted Sig, "That's why I have experienced deckhands like you out there to take care of the greenhorns!"

Jack looked away, suddenly feeling very angry at her captain. This was not fair…not fair at all and she was getting sick of it.

"Permission to speak freely?" she asked, a hard edge to her voice.

Sig narrowed his eyes at her and nodded curtly.

"I wasn't the one who allowed her to come back on deck in the first place," she said, her voice low and angry, "So it's not fair that I'm the one getting yelled at. I told her from the very beginning that I was 

uncomfortable with her out on deck, but she wouldn't listen. You let her back out there and now _I'm_ the one who's in trouble?"

Her voice rose steadily as she talked. Sig's eyes flashed at first with anger, then softened slightly when he realized the truth behind her words. He was the one who allowed Baylee to come out on deck, not Jack. Nothing would have happened if he did not give in to his wife.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He turned back around and looked out over the ocean.

Jack shifted nervously on the bench, wondering what to do next.

"Go back down," muttered Sig, "We'll discuss this later."

Jack shook her head and sneered in disbelief. She smacked the bench hard as she stood up and stormed out of the wheelhouse, allowing her anger to get the best of her. But part of her knew that she had a right to be angry. After all_ she _wasn't the one at fault here…no, this time it was the captain…

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	16. Chapter 16

Jack stormed back into the galley. She was furious at Sig for blaming her for the whole incident. She wondered briefly who told him that she had seen Baylee walk over to the rail, but the second she saw the look on Griffin's face, she had her answer.

Griffin was sitting behind the table looking very guilty. He glanced up at Jack and swallowed nervously.

"Jack…"

"Why would you do something like that?" asked Jack, sounding suddenly more hurt than angry, "After all I've done to try and help you fit in around here, why would you stab me in the back like that?"

"I'm sorry," mumbled Griffin, "He was so upset and he wouldn't let me put the blame on myself."

"So you chose to blame me?" asked Jack, eyes flashing angrily.

The rest of the crew glanced between them, anger and disappointment in their eyes.

"I didn't want to," retorted Griffin, "But it was true! You did see her go over to the rail and you didn't say anything…"

Jack slammed her fist down onto the counter.

"So that makes it my fault?" she shouted.

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, forcing herself to calm down.

"Fine…maybe it is partially my fault," she said after a moment, "But if it had been your fault, I would have never told Sig. I wouldn't put you through all that."

Griffin's eyes suddenly brightened with anger. He shot Jack a furious look.

"Oh well I'm terribly sorry," he snarled, "At least you only had to go through that for what, five minutes? I have to deal with that everyday that he's home!"

Jack was at a loss for words. She had not thought about what it must be like to live with Sig and his temper.

"I'm sorry you had to get yelled at," continued Griffin, "I'm sorry I told on you and I'm sorry you're upset…just be thankful you don't have to hear that all the time."

Griffin stood up from the table and walked quickly into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Jack looked over at Edgar, shock and disbelief in her eyes.

Edgar sighed and shook his head, indicating he had no idea about what was going on either. He walked over to Jack and gave her a long hug.

"It's not your fault," he reassured her, "We all know who's to blame for this and it isn't you."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I know…but what about Griffin?"

"What about him?" sneered Matt, "He stabbed you in the back!"

"Yeah but I think he's got a lot more going on in that head of his than he lets on," she replied, frowning slightly, "I think there's a deeper, more underlying problem here. I mean, Sig's stressed out and more angry than usual, Baylee's rebellious and doesn't seem to have a ton of respect for her husband, and Griffin…well he seems to have a lot of things going on that are bothering him."

Edgar and Norman exchanged confused looks.

"Whenever I've been at his house everything seems okay," said Norman.

"Well maybe being on this boat in such tight quarters and under these conditions is bringing out what really goes on in their house when no one else is there," replied Jack.

"I'll go talk to Griffin," replied Jake, "I may be able to get through to him…we're closer in age."

Jack nodded, "Good idea. I'll talk to Baylee when she wakes up…who's going to talk to Sig?"

Edgar, Norman, and Matt didn't say a word. Jack narrowed her eyes at them.

"Oh come on guys…man up."

Edgar sighed, "Fine…I'll do it."

"Well don't sound so enthusiastic," said Jack sarcastically.

Edgar muttered something under his breath as he turned to walk up to the wheelhouse.

"Hey," he called over his shoulder, "If I don't come back…I love you all."

Norman, Matt, and Jack laughed as Edgar began to hum the funeral song as he walked up the stairs.

"He was a good man," said Norman, smirking.

"And a good friend," added Matt.

Jack shook her head.

"Yep…it was nice being married to him while it lasted!"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Okay I don't know about you guys, but I'm like soooo depressed this morning. I woke up and realized that there will be no new Deadliest Catch episodes for another year…and as much as I like to write about DC, this is making it worse!! sigh I need another cup of coffee…**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks so much for all the reviews everyone!! **

…

Griffin glanced up when he heard a soft knocking on his door.

"What?" he grumbled.

The door creaked open slowly and Jake poked his head inside.

"Hey, man," he said as he glanced around his and Griffin's room, "Can I come in?"

Griffin shrugged, "I guess…it's your room too."

Jake sighed and closed the door behind him. This may be harder than he thought. He walked over toward Griffin and sat on a small chair near the bunks. Griffin was lying down on the bottom bunk looking over at Jake.

"How's the leg?"

Griffin glanced down at his leg. It was all different shades of blue, purple, and red.

"Banged up but nothing's broken."

Jake nodded and paused for a moment.

"Look…we all know something's going on with you and your parents," began Jake, "But we don't know what it is and we don't know how to deal with it or fix it if no one is willing to talk about it. So…what's going on?"

Griffin hesitated for a moment then sat up slowly and faced Jake. He took a breath before speaking and glanced away.

"It's Dad," he said quietly, "Everything used to be fine. We were used to him being gone. But the past two years he's been gone longer than usual. Apparently you guys have a larger quota now or something so it takes longer to catch it all. He's barely ever home and when he is he's too worried about next season to pay us any attention at all. He's physically there, but not mentally, you know?"

Jake nodded in understanding and gave Griffin a sympathetic look.

"I get it," he said after a moment, "You're saying you just want your dad to start hanging out with you and your mom more, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's like he cares more about his fishing than he does his own family. And I know it bothers Mom…it bothers her more than it does me. She's always depressed and upset even when he's home. And he never lets her do anything…that's why she went out there. She wanted to prove to him that she could handle it."

Jake frowned in concern, not sure how to react to this news. Jack was right…there really was a deeper underlying problem here that was causing all these other smaller problems to occur.

"Have you tried talking to your dad about all this?"

Griffin sneered, "Like he'd listen! He's too busy to hear anything I have to say."

Jake sighed, "Well Edgar's up there talking to him now. Maybe he'll get through to him?"

…

Meanwhile…

"Hey, Baylee," said Jack when she saw Baylee's eyes flutter open.

She was lying in Jack's bunk with a pile of blankets on top of her.

"I feel terrible," she murmured.

Jack instantly jumped up out of her chair and rushed over to her.

"What's wrong? What hurts?" she asked urgently.

"Oh, no not like that," said Baylee, "I mean…I feel really bad about what happened."

Jack let out a relieved sigh. She sat back down in the little folding chair.

"That was pretty stupid," she said, with a slight smile.

Baylee smiled back and shook her head.

"I don't know what got into me…I just wanted to see what it was like. I wanted to see what my son sees. I wanted to know what it is about this that Sig loves so much."

She got a really sad look in her eyes when she said the last sentence.

"So what's going on with you two anyway?" pressed Jack.

Baylee looked away, a deeply sad look entering her eyes. Her shoulders slumped slightly and to Jack it looked like she was ready to call it quits.

"He's too busy for me…for Griffin," she replied, voice shaky, "His boat is his baby…not me, not anymore."

Baylee's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to choke back a sob.

Jack jumped up again and sat down beside of Baylee, putting an arm around her comfortingly.

"I love him, don't get me wrong," said Baylee, wiping away a tear, "I love him more than life…I just don't think he feels the same way anymore. I don't think he really loves me…"

"I don't know," said Jack, "He was pretty upset about what almost happened to you."

"Oh sure," snapped Baylee, anger replacing her sad look, "He'll say things once in awhile…tell me he loves me and he wants things to change. And I'll believe him, but in a day or two its back to the way it used to be. It's a joke…he just says what he needs to so I won't leave. But Jack I'm so close to leaving now…I can't take this anymore…"

Jack's eyes widened in horror at the words coming from Baylee's mouth. She knew something wasn't right in Sig's family but she didn't know it was this serious.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, unable to think of what to say, "I'm so sorry…"

…

Meanwhile…

Edgar walked into the wheelhouse and sat down in the co-captain's chair.

"What do you want?" snapped Sig as he glanced over at his little brother.

Edgar took a deep breath, fully prepared to get yelled at and cursed out.

"I want to know what's going on," he replied, keeping his voice even and calm.

"With what?"

"With you…and your family."

Sig shot him an irritated look.

"I don't have time for this!"

"It seems like you don't have time for anything," snapped Edgar.

Sig was taken aback by his brother's tone. He shot him a surprised look.

Edgar sneered and leaned back against the seat, shaking his head in disgust.

"I mean…first of all we don't even talk anymore, unless its about fishing. I have a feeling that you do the same thing to Baylee and Griffin."

Sig's eyes flashed with anger but he remained quiet.

"Maybe that's why all this insanity has been happening," said Edgar, "Maybe that's why Baylee's not listening to you…maybe its because you don't listen to _her_."

The truth in Edgar's words hit home for Sig. He swallowed and glanced away.

Edgar saw the look in his eyes and knew that he had hit a nerve.

"And what's up with your son? He's acting like he's better than the rest of us…sounds like he's inherited somebody's ego, but more than that I think he's trying to impress you because he wants you to give him attention. He wants to hear you tell him that he's doing a good job."

Sig didn't reply for a good three minutes. He sat quietly, contemplating what Edgar had just said.

"I know," he muttered after a while.

Edgar glanced over at his brother in surprise. He had expected for Sig to flip out kick him out of the wheelhouse, not agree with him peacefully.

"I know…I just…"

"Just what?" snapped Edgar, "Stop making excuses Sig. This boat is not nearly as important as your family. I miss talking to my older brother, you know."

Edgar stopped talking as he felt an unexpected wave of emotion rise in his throat. He looked away so Sig wouldn't see how upset he was.

But Sig did see. He ran his hand through his hair and then rested his head in them.

"I know, Edgar," he said after a long pause, "I'm…I'm sorry. I really am."

"I don't want to hear that you're sorry," said Edgar, voice strained, "I want to _see_ that you're sorry…until then…"

Edgar stood up and left the wheelhouse, slamming the door behind him.

Sig leaned back in his chair and let out a shaky sigh. Edgar was right…this was all because of him…

…

Edgar walked back into the galley and saw Jake and Jack already sitting behind the table.

"Wow," he mumbled as he walked in, "You all look dead-tired…more so than usual."

Jake and Jack shook their heads and sneered.

"This is bad," said Jack, "Baylee's about three seconds from walking out on them."

"Griffin has no confidence in himself at all," said Jake, "He thinks his dad doesn't care about them anymore."

"I told Sig everything I felt…he took it better than I thought," muttered Edgar, "He said sorry but I told him I didn't want to _hear_ that he was sorry, I wanted to _see_ it."

Jack and Jake nodded in agreement.

"So what do we do now?" asked Jake.

"We have to get the three of them together…alone," replied Jack, "Maybe cook a big meal and get them to sit around the table and talk. The rest of us can eat outside or in our rooms."

Edgar nodded, "That's a good idea…salted cod?"

"Sounds good to me," said Jake.

"And now…we pray," said Jack as she began to help Edgar get the cooking started.

Jake nodded in agreement.

"And knock on wood…lots of wood…very hard…"

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**I had to put the "knock on wood" thing in here!! For those who don't know, its kind of an inside joke between some of us on the fan fiction deadliest catch forum : ) If you haven't joined and would like to just click the link on my profile!!**

**Thanks again for all the reviews!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Decided to do a bit more writing today. Thanks so much to all who reviewed!!**

The crew of the Northwestern bustled around the kitchen, trying to get the food done in time.

"How's desert coming?" asked Jake over his shoulder.

"Good," replied Matt, "Just need some chocolate frosting to top off the fudge cake…hey Jack, toss that over here would you?"

Jack grabbed the icing out of the pantry and tossed it over to Matt, then ran over to Edgar as he held out a plate full of food to be sat on the table.

"Looks great Edgar," she said, giving him an encouraging smile, "If your salted cod doesn't bring them together I don't know what will!"

Edgar smirked, "I love my wife," he murmured as Norman walked by.

Norman shook his head and smiled slightly as he washed his hands in the sink.

"Are we almost ready guys?" asked Jack.

"Yep!" announced Matt as he held up his masterpiece, "Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate icing is good to go!"

"Dude! Pass that over this way!" shouted Jake.

Matt scowled at him and pulled the cake out of his reaching distance.

Jack covered her mouth with her hand to hold back an amused laugh.

They finished setting the table and cleaning up the dishes. Finally, they all paused and glanced around the room.

"So…what do you think?" asked Matt in a worried tone, "Is this gonna work?"

Jack sighed, "I don't know…but the food looks delicious. We've done all we can do, now it's up to them."

…

"Griffin!" shouted Jake, "Come on! Food's on the table!"

Edgar walked by with the last load of food for the crew. They had set up a small table and chairs in the break room near the door, far enough away from the galley so that the Hansens could have their privacy.

Griffin slowly opened his door and stepped out into the small hallway. He walked toward the galley, giving Jake a curious look. Jake had a goofy grin on his face and looked like he was going to start jumping up and down at any given second.

Suddenly, Griffin's eyes opened wide in astonishment when he saw all the food sitting on the table. He turned around quickly to ask Jake what was going on, but Jake had disappeared.

A few seconds later, Baylee emerged from her room and gaped in shock at all the food on the table.

"Wow…Jack told me that dinner would be ready soon but I had no idea…"

Just then, Sig walked down the stairs and paused when he saw his wife. He went over to her and gave her a 

hug.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, quietly.

"I'm okay…thanks to Jake," replied Baylee, not meeting his gaze.

Sig frowned slightly, realizing for the first time the impact of his actions on his wife. She looked worn out and beaten down.

"Wow," Sig breathed after a moment, "What in the world did they do?"

He walked into the galley and saw that the entire galley table was covered in food. He smiled slightly to himself when he realized what the crew had really done. He shook his head slightly as he moved aside to allow his wife to sit down first.

Griffin slid in beside his mom and Sig sat down last.

"They really went to town!" he exclaimed as he put some of the cod on his plate.

"I call the cake," said Griffin, eyeing Matt's masterpiece.

Baylee smirked as Sig reached over and put some cod onto her plate.

After a couple minutes, Sig cleared his throat and put down his fork.

"So I talked to Edgar earlier," he began, "He, um, made me aware of how everyone's been feeling lately…and I wanted to let you both know that I'm sorry."

Griffin raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Baylee just stared down at her plate.

Sig sighed and put a hand on her leg.

"And I mean it this time," he said in a soft voice, "There's no excuse for me treating you guys this way. Fishing is fishing and it needs to be left in Dutch when I'm in Seattle. You guys need to be my priority when I'm home…and I'm going to make sure that that's the case. I'm also going to try and hang out with Edgar and Norm a little more…apparently they aren't too happy about my obsession with fishing either."

Baylee smirked slightly at that.

"At least you admit its an obsession," she said.

Sig smiled slightly and patted her leg.

"Yeah it is…and that's going to change. I got a crew of very well-trained crabbers and they can help me take care of the boat. I don't need to be doing it on my own…I know that now."

Griffin was grinning happily and glancing between his parents. It was the first time in a long time that they had sat down together for dinner and had actually had a pleasant conversation.

Meanwhile, in the break room…

"Move your big head, Matt!" hissed Jake, "I can't see a thing!"

"Would you shut up!" whispered Matt, angrily, "They'll hear us!"

Jack shook her head at them and rolled her eyes.

"They're such little boys," she said to Norman.

He nodded his agreement as he took another bite of chocolate cake.

"Dude, Matt I'm not kidding! Move your fat head!"

Matt turned around to hit Jake, but Jake jumped out of the way and bumped into the table.

"Hey!" exclaimed Edgar as he grabbed his drink just before it fell off the table.

"Knock it off!" shouted Norman.

"Would you both grow up?" snapped Jack as the two began to circle each other.

The goofy looks on their faces showed that it wasn't serious.

"What's the matter Bradley?" taunted Jake, "Getting a bit too old?"

"I'll get you, you little punk!" laughed Matt as he lunged at him.

Jake screamed and leapt out of the way. He hit the wall near the door and fell to the ground.

"Jake!" hissed Edgar, "Dude they're gonna hear you!"

Jake laughed and screamed again as Matt took advantage of his stumble and leapt at him. They began to wrestle on the ground, Jake crying for help and Matt laughing evilly.

"Say I have a fat head now!" said Matt, "Go on, Jakers…say it!"

"No! No…I'm sorry!" laughed Jake as he glanced back at the rest of the crew, "Why won't you all help me? Come on! He's gonna kill me!"

"Darn," muttered Norman, "What a shame…"

Jack smirked and watched as Matt jabbed Jake slightly in the ribs.

Jake let out another cry of help, much to the rest of the crew's displeasure.

"Would you quit?" asked Edgar, exasperated, "Sig's gonna…"

Just then, the door opened. Matt and Jake froze and glanced up, guilty and fearful looks on their faces.

Jack put her head in her hands and shook her head.

Sig glanced around the room.

"You guys alright?" he asked, a slightly confused expression on his face.

"Yeah…those two are just being stupid," said Edgar, shooting a glare at Matt and Jake.

"Yeah I can see that," said Sig as he looked down at Jake and Matt, who were now scrambling back to their feet.

"Sorry bout that," said Matt, "We were just playin' around."

Sig smirked and glanced around at his crew, "This was one giant conspiracy wasn't it? Let me guess…the female deckhand's idea, right?"

Jack raised her hand.

"Guilty as charged…but these guys did most of the cooking. Matt did the cake."

"Well thanks guys," said Sig, "I really appreciate it."

"So…did it work?" asked Jake.

Sig laughed, "So it was a conspiracy…I knew there was more to it than just a nice dinner. And yeah I think it worked."

Jack and Edgar exchanged victorious glances while Matt and Jake high-fived each other.

"Alright, I'm going back to my family…you guys, try not to kill each other okay? I need you to haul pots tomorrow."

Sig left the room and the Northwestern crew leapt to their feet and cheered.

"So maybe things will get better now?" asked Matt.

"Yeah…maybe Griffin will step it up a little more," agreed Jake.

"Maybe you both should knock on wood," snapped Edgar, "Don't jinx us…not after all this!"

Jack laughed, a warm feeling creeping up her spine. The crew was working as a team again and getting along rather well. This entire situation had brought them even closer together than before. They were more than a team…and even though they weren't all blood related…

They were a family.

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**I'm gonna do an epilogue tomorrow!! Then I'm hoping to start the sequel on Monday…just got some stuff to do this weekend and gotta finalize my ideas for the sequel. Lauren Grant has given me some ideas so that's helping A TON!! I'm always up for suggestions or ideas, so PM me if you got any!!**

**I'll update Real Life tomorrow too!!**


	19. Epilogue: The Prank

Epilogue

…

Three weeks later…

"Griffin, you want to throw the hook for this string? My arm's killing me!"

Edgar smirked at Matt.

"Poor Matt can't handle it…so he's asking the kid to do his work."

Matt shot Edgar a feigned angry look and stuck out his tongue at him.

"Yeah, I'll do it," replied Griffin as he tossed the bait setup on the sorting table, "If you do the bait!"

Matt muttered something under his breath, "Yeah I guess."

"The kid's stepping up," commented Norman.

"Yeah he's doing a good job," agreed Jack.

"Just don't let him hear you say that!" said Edgar, "Last thing we need is for him to get an ego."

Meanwhile, Baylee was up in the wheelhouse with Sig.

"You sure they're okay?"

Sig smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Honey, they're fine…they're used to this remember?"

"I know…but they've been working for more than twenty-four hours," Baylee sighed, "I'm sorry…I worry too much."

Sig smiled and motioned for his wife to come over to him. He gave her a hug and sighed.

"It's okay, hon," he murmured, "I know you worry too much, you don't have to tell me."

Baylee narrowed her eyes at Sig. He laughed and flinched, just in case she decided to hit him.

"Well at least Griffin seems to be doing better," she said after a moment.

Sig leaned over and knocked on wood. Baylee rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Don't jinx it!" said Sig with a smirk.

"I'm going to go and check on them," said Baylee as she walked toward the door.

Sig shot her a warning look.

"Don't worry…I'll won't go near the rail. I learned my lesson the first time!"

Sig watched worriedly as she left the wheelhouse.

Baylee stepped outside and glanced around the deck.

"Is it ready yet?" she asked quietly.

Edgar looked up from where he was working on something inside one of the large totes. He smiled an almost evil smile and nodded.

Jake, Jack, and Griffin were having a heck of a time trying not to laugh hysterically.

"This is so wrong," said Jack after a moment, "Sig is going to fire us all!"

"Who should we pretend it is?" asked Jake, "Norman?"

"No, not anyone related to him," said Edgar, "Matt?"

"He doesn't care what happens to me!" exclaimed Matt, "Jake! Pretend it's Jake, Sig loves him!"

"Alright, then Jake it is," said Edgar as he lifted a life-size dummy out of the tote.

Jake's eyes widened in horror.

"You're impersonating me?" he exclaimed, "Well, there's goes my fishing career…"

Jack and Griffin laughed and helped Edgar hoist the dummy on top of the wheelhouse.

"Okay, Baylee," said Matt, giving her the signal.

Baylee turned around and rushed back up into the wheelhouse.

"Sig?"

"Yeah honey?"

"They're going to ice off the top of the wheelhouse now, just to let you know."

Sig furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Already? I didn't think there was that much ice on there yet."

"Edgar said its building pretty fast up there and he'd feel better if they got it off now," replied Baylee, fighting to keep her composure.

Sig shrugged, "Alright…whatever makes Edgar happy."

Baylee retreated down into the galley, biting her lip to keep from laughing. She stepped back outside to see how the plan was going.

She saw ice and snow being tossed off the wheelhouse and heard the quiet murmurs and giggles of the deckhands as they prepared to pull a prank on their captain.

"Jake!" shouted Edgar suddenly.

"Oh no! Jake hang on!" shouted Griffin.

"Somebody help him!" screamed Jack.

The entire crew joined in, screaming and yelling for Jake to hang on.

Sig leapt out of his seat when he saw Jake's leg's sliding down the front of the wheelhouse window.

"Oh my…"

Suddenly, the crew gave out a startled cry as Jake plummeted to the bow of the boat.

"Jake!" screamed Sig, in a full-fledged panic.

He ran down the wheelhouse stairs and climbed quickly over to the front of the boat. His heart pounded wildly, convinced that Jake was seriously injured…or worse.

He ran over to him and saw that he was face down and not moving. He flipped him over…only to see that the body was really a dummy.

Loud cackles of hysteric laughter from the top of the wheelhouse confirmed Sig's thoughts. It was a prank.

He scowled up at his crew. They were lying down on the wheelhouse roof, laughing so hard that tears were coming from their eyes. After a moment, they began to high-five one another and congratulate Edgar on his successful prank.

After a couple minutes Sig began to laugh too. Even though it scared the hell out of him, he had to admit…that was a good one!

"Who's idea was this?" he asked, "Jake's?"

"No!" shouted Jake suddenly as he pointed at Edgar, "It was him! I swear!"

Sig laughed at the fearful look on Jake's face. Suddenly, a realization hit him when he saw Baylee climb up onto the wheelhouse roof to join the crew.

"You!" he exclaimed, pointing at her, "You were in on this too?"

Baylee was crying from laughing so hard as he gazed down at her flustered husband. She just nodded, unable to speak.

"Dad you looked so scared!" exclaimed Griffin, causing another roar of laughter to erupt from the deckhands, "That was the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

Sig shot his son a glare, pretending to be angry.

"Alright, ha ha, very funny…now you clowns get back to work, would you?"

The crew climbed back down from the wheelhouse, still laughing as they began to prepare the pots for the next string.

For the rest of the day, the crew laughed and joked Sig about the prank.

But for Sig, he wouldn't have it any other way. He and his family were finally back to where they needed to be and Griffin was proving to be a valuable deckhand and a team player.

Sig smiled to himself as he sat, contemplating in the wheelhouse.

"We're all one dysfunctional family," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, but we put the 'fun' in dysfunctional!"

Sig turned around and saw his younger brother, Edgar walk into the wheelhouse. He laughed slightly and shook his head.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked.

"Just wanted to make sure we didn't give you a heart attack," he replied with a smirk.

Edgar hesitated a moment before he spoke again.

"It's good to have you back, bro," he murmured.

Sig smiled slightly at Edgar, "It's good to be back."

They gave each other a hug and as they pulled away Sig got a disgusted look on his face.

"Okay, enough of this mushy garbage…get out of my wheelhouse and do your job!"

Edgar smirked.

"Guess it's good to know some things never change!"

THE END

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Well apparently I'm now going to have a very busy weekend so I'll be doing the sequel either Monday or Tuesday. Once again any ideas/suggestions for the sequel are greatly appreciated. Let me know if there's something you'd like to see happen or someone you'd like to make an appearance in the story. I like to know what my audience wants!!

Thanks for reading/reviewing!!

Love Always,

L


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